Only If For a Night
by Blondiehs
Summary: The story takes place in corrupt London in 1994. The main character named Julia is a 24 year old. She tries to live her life quietly and calmly after escaping one of the concentration camps. On her way she meets a man named Tom. This is a short story based off of the universe in the comic "V for Vandetta". OC/OC
1. Only If For a Night (part 1)

Author's note: This story was written by a back and forth messaging.

Background: The story takes place in corrupt London in 1994. The main character named Julia is a 24 year old. She has shoulder length, messy, blonde hair. Her eyes are green with brown spots the color of honey. When she was 20 years she has been taken into a concentration camp named Larkhill. Several experiments has been done on her and she was locked in a cold, dark cell. It was done so as she spoke freely about who she is, a person who doesnt identify herself with anything. After an unexplained explosion in 1992 she was freed from the camp and returned to normal life in London. After a year of living in the city she decided to return to her childhood house that was hidden away in the outskirts of the city, in the middle of the forest. The second character named Tom is 22 years old, he has chin length black hair and he is quite attractive. He met Julia as she was walking down the streets of London. He was a homeless man and she took him in as she saw something in him that she needed.

For when he placed his hand on her cheek she shrugged as it was something unusual of him to do. She closed her eyes in delight and pressed her hand against his palm. She moved her hand off his lap and placed it on his palm. Their hands rose and fell down with her taking each breath. "You hate me, don't you?" She whispered and opened her eyes, she turned her face to his. His beautiful, wide opened, green eyes looking at her. Her eyes that were now, glass like made her seem just boring and not original when compared to his. No expression on his face that could tell her what he was thinking or feeling teryfied her. She took off his hand from her face and stood up rapidly. She grabbed a grey hair tie from the night stand and walked quickly to the window. Raising her hands, she tied her hair into a messy bun. All he could see now is her silhouette and her tiny little blonde hair that she wasn't able to tie. At this point his presence drove her crazy. She wanted them to be something more than just strangers. She wanted to be something more for him than just a stranger who took him off the streets. But he was so quiet, so stubborn. He was indeed opening up, a piece by piece, but it wasn't enough for her. She felt like she could get the comfort with him that's she lost years ago when she was taken away. But he just wouldn't want to give it to her. She turned around to him, her back facing the window. She looked at him and walked out of the room. "I will make some tea" she said swiftly. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed the kettle off the stove. She took it over to the sink, opened it and poured water into it. She then proceed to put it on the stove and turned it on. She sighed silently and reached up to the cupboard above the sink to get a packet of tea. She looked at the little box and after a little while she took out two packets instead of one. She placed them on the counter and then reached up again to get two white mugs.

Julia walked away. Tom could discern the way she walked that her gate was unique, and she had been hurting. He could notice that there was something different about her. He couldn't comprehend emotions anymore, but it was evident that Julia was desprate for something, but he couldn't understand what. He got up and walked around the house. This was a rundown place, within the woods, only Julia knew about this place. She had brought him here. He felt at home after a very long time. The spare amount of books on the shelves reminded him of his old home. However, the red paint was wearing down on the walls. There was cobwebs on the ceiling. As he stepped the creaking on the floor was too evident. It was a dissolute place, yet it was their home. It was very spacious however. He wondered how the place was before the war. It must have been beautiful. He wandered into a room which he hadn't explored. It was dark, and on the corner, there was a something, which he couldn't perceive. It was dusty, yet it drew him closer. As he came close, he opened the cover that overlay the object. It was a piano. The memories of his youth rushed, once again in his life, he has experienced joy. With his left hand he played a vibration rung through the air and shook his heart. Julia heard this too, she didn't know what the sound was or where it was coming from. And again he hit another note. With just his left hand he started playing, slowly. The air became thick and he could feel a shift in the heart. The colors in the room became more defined. From the dull red walls to walls that was dripping red patches. The sunlight piercing through the window, it became more evident to Tom. Julia could now clearly hear it. The melodious sound of music. It reminded her of her past.


	2. Only If For a Night (part 2)

(continuation)

As she was reaching for the mugs she hard a strange noise. A short, quick noise that sounded familiar. She moved her head trying to figure out what it was. Maybe it was just in her head, maybe it was just the house making noises, she thought. She placed the porcelain mugs down and put the tea bags in them. She had few more seconds before the kettle would start whistling so she decided to check the source of the harmonic sound. She walked out of the kitchen and again into the room with the king size bed in which she was before. Tom was gone. She wondered to the window, once again, and opened it letting cold breezy air in. She took a deep breath and looked outside. Her eyes saw nothing but green pine trees. No wild life, no people. She decided that since he isn't in the room it would be a good thing to quickly change her clothes. She didn't mind him seeing her shirtless, but she wanted to be alone at this moment. She took off her wooly sweater and folded it neatly. She placed it on the wood cabinet and took a deep breathe. It smelled like polluted air. The streets of London were now even more disgusting, but she allowed herself to walk through them. She had to get supplies for the house. It was dangerous for her to go out there especially since she was an ex prisoner of the concentration camp. That's why she didn't allow Tom to leave at all cost. If he was just seen with her, it could cost him his life. She took out a soft, grey, cotton shirt and put it on. She took off her necklaces and placed them carefully on top of the furniture. She decided to let her hair down again and so she did but she pinned a piece of it with a black hair clip. She left the room and was going to go back to the kitchen when she heard it again, the sweet sound of melody. Her heart started beating faster as it was lured to the sound of music. Memories started to rush into her mind. She walked down the long, dark, narrow hallway, the floors squeaked under her delicate bare feet. She touched the walls with two of her fingers which caused patches of paint to fall down. When she reached the end she looked to her right and saw Tom. He was sitting in front of the piano, in the dark red room, slowly and with emotion he was clicking the piano keys. He looked so happy in that moment. That's exactly how she wanted him to be. She was about to enter the room when the kettle whistled. She moved back quickly letting herself not be seen by him. She paced to the kitchen and when she reached the stove she turned it off. She grabbed the mugs and pulled them closer to herself, then she grabbed the kettle and started pouring boiling water into them. The steam was rising and lightly touching her hand resulting in discomfort. She placed back the kettle but like the messy person she is, her finger slipped of the handle and touched the sizzling hot metal. She dropped the kettle down in the stove which fell there perfectly. She squeaked and ran to the sink turning on cold water. After few minutes with a grim on her face she turned the water off and proceed to finish making the tea. Tom just liked it plain, she liked two teaspoons of sugar and a bit of lemon juice. She grabbed the two cups and walked down the dark hallway, her finger pulsing with pain. When she reached the room at the end she walked in and placed the tea mugs on the table by the piano. She looked at Tom who was again in his little world. Her heart was taken by the music he was playing, and her mind was busy with memories of her young self. She sat by him and thought "You're just bones and a beating heart and a pair of bright eyes. How can you mess with my mind so much?"

Tom felt a nudge on his hip. It was soft and tender on his right side. Then he noticed Julia. He had never seen her like this before. Her eyes were shallow with worry yet tender with love. Her cheeks hardened trough the trifles. The dirty blonde mess of hair neatly sat on her shoulder. Her lips red and poised. Her slender and thin body neatly fit into the small table that they were siting on. There was faint smile on her face. She looked into Tom's eyes. Then for the first time he saw her face brighten. He noticed the change. The emotion that was bustling through her skinny bones. Then he laughed, letting go of the deep knot in his chest. He felt the air lighten around him as he exhaled. Like a small tender flower which opens up to the bright dawn, he felt as she spoke. He heard her for the first time. She had spoken to him before but he could never fully digest her speech. It always gave him shivers to hear her talk. Her speech always sounded like harsh raspy voice and it reminded him of his sisters scream. But today it was different her voice slowly rose through the air floating as a small puffy cloud. It penetrated stillness with clear motive. The tea felt bitter for the first time, sour you could say even. "We are music" he said, and looked back at the keyboard. Without hesitation he picked up his left hand and kept playing. Each note he struck, reminded him of his childhood. The bright trees, the redwoods which stretched forever. The jitter of the kids making commotion outside. All the happiness came to him. He grabbed her around the waist.


	3. Only If For a Night (part 3)

(continuation)

The atmosphere got lighter and the air got warmer. With her gaze she followed his fingers which tenderly hit the piano keys. The music he was playing was at the same time sad and beautiful. She made up an idea in her mind that she will help him play but as soon as she placed her fingers on the keys a terrible, not fitting, noise came out. "I'm sorry" she said with a light smile on her face. She looked at him and their eyes met. "We are.. Music?" She thought in her head. "We.. We are, or is it just you alone?" She moved her head to the right trying to clear her ridiculous thoughts. She stood up from the stool they were sitting on and stood behind him. She had a weird feeling inside of her, a feeling that made her want to take care of him, keep him safe, far way from the world. She placed her arm lightly on his left shoulder and slowly moved it to his neck. His body felt so warm against her cold palm. He shivered and the corner of her mouth curved. She moved her hand up to his cheek. He was probably annoyed with her constantly touching him lightly, or at least that's what she thought. What she really desired was human touch, oh she wanted it so much. She needed to interact with someone. It upset her that they were alone in the middle of nowhere and yet they barely talked with one other. Knowing how Tom would probably move her hand off his body any minute she moved it to his hair. Silky, black hair. She grabbed some of the front pieces that tickled his face and then the loose back pieces tying his hair into a top knot, with the hair tie she had on her wrist. The hair tie left a red mark on her hand which hurt but it was bearable. She didn't really know how to behave around him anymore. She didn't know what she wanted or what she was expecting. Slowly, she proceed to the window in the back of the room and pulled the curtains shut, destroying the last ray of sunshine. Complete darkness surrounded the room. She felt like she had to do this or otherwise they would just get distracted with the fake happiness that the sun created. "Tom?" She said calmly and caring. "Please let's not do this, I'm so very tired. Tired of this silence.. Tired of avoiding each other's feelings but meeting each other's gazes." She moved to the right side of the room, pressed her head against the cold, brick wall and slid her body down to the floor. Wondering, she looked at his back, as he sat there in silence.

Tom felt a chill across his face as Julia brushed her hands. He shivered. She raised her hand towards his neck as he hit the high note. Her hands flowed through the air with the frequency of the music. Slow but precise. He sensed an emotion from Julia. An emotion which the army and the war had made him devoid of, an emotion of care and love hid deep within the pain that was expressed through her gestures. It was like music, everything had its purpose. Every single note had to be played to make it perfect, to make it harmonious and melodious. Playing the music made Tom connect to the world. Within seconds Julia stood up and closed the curtains. The clear vivid colors became dull, the harmonious music became an obstructive noise. Tom stopped playing and looked at Julia. She was hidden in the back wall crouched like a harmed animal. Even though everything around have become sullen he could hear crisply. He still could feel the emotions. He smiled and stood up. He walked over towards her and held her soft and firm. Her hands wear rough and warm, the years of labor had taken the tenderness from them. He sat next to her and said quielty "I have not felt in a long time Julia and now I am able to feel, for the first time. I feel like I'm seeing the world in a whole different way." He then with a deep smile asked "I am sorry, but it is the music that makes me grounded to this earth, when all hope is lost, I remember playing the piano, it was my escape, it was friend.". Julia stared at him memorized. It was the most he had spoken in the year they had known each other.


	4. Only If For a Night (part 4)

(continuation)

She closed her eyes and rested her head on her knees, struggling with her thoughts. She heard his footsteps, slow but heavy. She was sure he was walking out of the room to avoid her nonsense. The steps were getting closer and not further away as she expected. She sensed his presence by her side, his body rubbing against her side. Unexpectedly she felt his arms around her. He gently squished her soft body and it sent a shiver down her spine. She wanted him to let go, as she felt that it might have been an action of pity, but he didn't. He hold her firmly. When he spoke, his warmth breath brushed against her ear. In that moment he smelled so delightful, his raspy voice sounded like music to her ears. She moved her hand up to her puffy lips which were splitting from the lack of moisture. She brushed her thumb against her bottom lip, back and forth, going over the little painful cracks. When he spoke, she was sipping the words from his lips, you could even say she was getting drunk on them. Hearing him talk felt so pleasant, his words broke the silence she was in for a long time. He didn't understand that most of her younger and vulnerable years she spent in silence. Locked up in darkness and cold, waiting for someone to open the cell door and do things with her. Torture her, abuse her, put needles in her precious little body. And all of it was done in silence, complete silence. The only thing that you would hear from time to time, when she couldn't take it anymore, was her blood curling screams. That's why she hated it so much, that's why she hated when he didn't talk, and that's why she loved when he was with her. His presence at least made her feel like she's not locked up, although she was. Locked in a dark, rotting house, in the middle of the black like forest. When he stopped speaking she lifted her head up and looked at him, her heart was beating faster as if she was high on his words. The silence was broken, and even though it was just for a little bit, it was enough for her. She still was slowly moving her thumb across her lip as it gave her some sense of comfort. Her mind was fighting itself. "Do I tell him? Do I stay quiet? Does he need to know? Will it change anything?" She thought. He was smiling as he was caught up in the moment, but she wasn't. She looked worried, the darkness making her face look more exhausted. Her under eye bags bigger and her cheeks more hollow. She grabbed his hands and moved them off of herself as the position they were in, started to make her uncomfortable. She placed his hands on his lap, and her palm on his left.  
>Oh how badly she want to hold him, to touch his skin, to be buried in his arms. But she knew that wasn't what he wanted. Or at least that's what she thought. She felt as she could never be his get away from the real world, like he was to her. She felt like she could never be wanted by someone like him. Since his arms weren't around her anymore she decided to keep her hand on his, just to have the sense of him being right next to her. She braided their fingers together, her rough overworked hands against his delicate freckled ones. With a heavy heart she started speaking "I have felt for a long time. I have felt since I haven't been alone. I've seen the world a different way but I keep seeing it the way it used to be before." She stopped for a moment but then started talking again.<br>"I'm grounded to this earth because of your presence. When all hope is lost I just look at you and my mind drifts off into another world. Somewhere where I am safe. And when you speak, it breaks the silence in my head that I've heard for so long. You're my escape that I've been looking for, for a long time." Her chest was moving up and down rapidly, she had difficulty breathing as all the emotion comulated inside of her. Her eyes met his again, but this time she looked at him for a longer period of time. She looked like a lost little girl, she didn't know what to expect from him now. His reaction was just a matter of time.

He looked at her, the small body was crouched like a little ball in fear. His memories came back to him within a flash. After his family had been brutally murdered, he ran. He was 6 back then. He had run into a shrine. The copper and marbles that had rusted due to the pollution, the face of Buddha chopped, the burning of smoke and chaos, that was the shrine. His eyes were swollen red, his heart filled with anger, awaiting revenge. There he had met his friend, Haden. Haden was much older than him. He was a slender brown with long braided hair and a thin mustache. He had a small scar, on his lip. His eyes blue with glimmer. But their friendship started slow. Haden had shown him how to fight the resistance. With Haden's help, Tom has had become a skilled. When he was 17, the shrine was attacked and his friends were not able to escape. He was also captured with them, but due to his training, his will was not completely broken. He had seen his friends, the ones he had grown attached to, murdered right in front of his eyes. He had escaped by a near chance. While one of his prison inmate was being brutally murdered, his guard had forgotten to lock the cell. He had quickly escaped, killing the guards. He had suppressed all the memories of his past with the monastery and his training. The resistance had taken the life out him. The motives of resistance had vanished in him. Julia had taken him in when he was void of emotion. He stopped caring for life itself. Even with Julia it was merely a speech that was necessary, nothing more. Julia reminded him of his family, even if he didn't realize that. It was because of her, he started feeling again. It was first the emotion of angry, which changed now to pure joy. Julia, now Tom realized was the face of hope. A symbol which he didn't quite understand in the beginning but he was attracted to. Now as he looked at her, it was completely different. That confident slender body had withered into a small closed one. The stern bold eyes for the first time looked vulnerable. But he still couldn't comprehend this emotion, he just wanted to get up and leave. Almost without thinking he jerked to get up. But something kept him. The big green eyes captivated him. He started sensing an emotion, a sudden rush through the body, made him quite uncomfortable, yet it made him yearn for more. With almost an animalistic instinct, he grabbed her hand and jerked her towards him. He stared at her for a bit. For the first time he felt her. Her chest expanded and retracted, he could feel her breath as she exhaled. Just like the music, they were in harmony. He could feel goosebumps on her shoulder which was thin and muscular. He could sense that Julia felt uncomfortable so he took her hand and led her outside. The sun was low, crimson yellow rays pierced through the sky, far away smoke could've been seen. It was the war. The sky was however void of clouds. Even though there was a lot of commotion from the battle and pollution, the atmosphere was serene. He could feel Julia's hand creep in, next to his. Her hair blended with color of the sky, beautiful in its own right. The air tasted like sawdust. He slipped his hands behind her ears and gripped her firmly. Slowly he leaned his head towards hers. Their foreheads touched slowly. Then he whispered to her, "Look at the sky, look at how it shines, majestic and serene almost blending with chaos. We have been through a lot I know. Look beyond all of it."This all happened in an instant without him having an motive or thought. He could feel her cold skin. He was still holding her firm, not wanting to let go.


	5. Only If For a Night (part 5)

(continuation)

When he pulled her closer her body relaxed. A feeling of warmth rushed through her body as she felt his body. Although their bodies didn't fit each other's perfectly and she was uncomfortable she wanted to stay with him in that position forever. Suddenly he jerked up and took her hand. She followed him, without thinking, just like in a dream. He lead her outside, in front of he house. The cold air hit her face with a shock. She stood by his side, hand in hand. She felt his hands creep up her neck and lay behind her ears. She faced him which made her heart drop. She didn't want to meet his gaze after her confession. But he pulled her head up and their foreheads touched. She was looking straight in his eyes, all she saw was confusion, pain and something she couldn't make out, exactly. She saw an emotion in him that she only saw in herself. With his every whisper her heart started beating faster. She read the words from his lips. It's all in the past, we have to focus on the future, he said. "I want you to be in my future." She thought. Their faces were getting closer and closer and the tension between them grew  
>"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." She whispered to him and her lips curved. This was the most they ever talked. It was always silence or avoiding each other and going to another room. But this, this affection she was feeling, it felt good. She wanted more. She moved her hands up placed them around his neck. Now their bodies seemed to fit together. His lips seemed so soft at the moment that that it was all she could think about. Her face gravitated towards his, as if they were two magnets. She closed her eyes and finally she pressed her lips against his. They were pouty and delicate and hers were rough and split, like anything on their bodies when compared. She pulled away and looked at him in shock as if she was surprised by her action. She pulled her body away from his, his hands following her silhouette until they finally dropped down. She put two of her fingers on her lips and her. Out of the sudden she heard movement coming from the forest.<p>

As Tom looked at Julia, she whimpered some words that he couldn't hear. The words were soft and gushed through the wind. From almost nowhere, Julia touched his lips. He couldn't understand why she did that. She was trying roger a message across that but he didn't know what it was. The warm breath, on his lips made him feel secure. Tom had never seen anyone kiss ever. The new regime had controlled the society to such an extent that the people were devoid of all emotion. Sex was used just to produce offsprings, the passion of love was nonexistent. Tom just looked at Julia, then he heard rasping through the leaves, footsteps as the leaves crackled. Then he started seeing the redcoats. He dropped his hand to meet Julia and held it tight. Her face said it all. She was scared. Before they could make a move the soldiers were covering the front porch. Then he recognized the face.  
>The person who was in the front was named Peter. He was the face of resistance. He was Tom's idol through his childhood in the monastery. The person who has trained Haden and him. Peter was a tall figure, he was in late 40's. His smile was quite enchanting and reassuring. He had a sense of command, that made people follow him. Thus is why he had become the face of the resistance. He still had the same vigor and command. You could feel feel a sense of hope just looking at Peter's face. But he couldn't understand what Peter was doing with the redcoats. Then it hit him, hope has vanished and a sense of fear struck him. Tom met Peter's eyes, the blue eyes enchanted him.<br>"Tom my boy! Surprised are you? Do finally understand?"He said. With a deep tug on his throat, the belief that he didn't want to accept came out of Peter's mouth. "The resistance is nothing but a fairly tale, there never was a resistance. We provided a leader so that the rebels, that ones rejected the society could look up to someone. We are here to control the society. You and Haden were setup to fail. All of it was setup, my boy. But we didn't expect that you would ever meet Julia. " He smirked and looked at her. "We still kept track of you, ensuring you fit the society even though you're far away. We tried to tune you with the society but you rejected it. You my boy have given me no choice." Slowly there was a tug on his arm and Julia was looking at him. She looked beautiful.  
>This was the feeling of love. There wasn't much of a choice, now. The fight that he was trying to fight was truly unnecessary and not worthwhile. He knew there was only one thing to do. To truly immerse himself in the feeling of passion. He grabbed hold of Julia and tugged her in. Closely holding her, he kissed her. The cheery and soft lips, seemed like the roses that were blooming through the spring. The sweet taste of lips seemed like honey. He held on her, not letting her escape. The warmth that she provided made him forget the all the petty trifles.<p>

He felt a tug on his abs, and then it happened, the whole world around went blank as he heard gunshots around him. The birds swooping away with fear and slow down time. The world around him went dark.


End file.
